It's likely that the masked man who robbed the First Citizens Bank on Wheeler Road on Monday is responsible for three other bank robberies in Augusta, police said.
Richmond County sheriff's Lt. Scott Peebles said there was a "strong possibility" that the robbery was committed by a black man who has managed to avoid authorities since February.
Although little information has surfaced about the robber, another piece of the puzzle seemed to fit when police learned from witnesses that he might have fled the scene in a white Cadillac.
"It could be something and it could not, but it's suspicious enough that we should get the information out there," Lt. Peebles said.
He said witnesses saw a suspicious man sitting in the vehicle in the parking lot of the nearby Georgia Bank and Trust Mortgage Center for a few hours before the robbery.
The robber fled in that direction after he stole money from the First Citizens Bank.
Authorities said the robber did not show a gun and stole only $50 and $100 bills from the clerk -- which is similar to the previous robberies.
He has been dubbed "The Scarecrow" because of his resemblance to a masked villain from the Batman movies, but video from Monday's robbery shows he was wearing a black ski mask that differed from the brown mask seen in earlier incidents.
The bank robbery was the sixth in Augusta this year.
Reach Adam Folk at (706) 823-3339 or adam.folk@augustachronicle.com.
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